Steven Universe and the Morningstar
by SpawnofAnarion
Summary: Sometimes it's better to choose the Devil you don't know. A strange adventure in which Steven makes a new friend and Lucifer ends up on another beach. Takes place after the end of the Lucifer comics and shortly after season 4 of SU.
1. Morning Star at Journey's End

It was an amazing day, subjectively speaking. The sun shone proudly past the spotty layer of clouds, sparkling across the water almost playfully. The ocean lapped up calmly and quietly all along the sun-baked sand, guided by a soft, cool breeze off the water. All in all, it was pretty much a perfect day at the beach, though it had only just begun—the sun was barely a quarter of the way into the sky. Despite this, it was completely empty, from past the great statue rock all the way down, as far as the eye could see. It was completely empty—and then, it was not.

An onlooker would have been hard-pressed to tell when or where the man appeared. Perhaps they would have replied, on being asked where this person had come from, that he 'must have come out of the ocean', or 'I must've missed him before'. They might, if sufficiently prodded, have mentioned something about the fact that there were no footprints leading to the man, so he must have come from the ocean. A long-distance swimmer, maybe, or an unfortunate sailor shipwrecked in the night. Of course, any such speculation on this subject would've required at least one person to be nearby to observe the arrival of this individual, and someone to ask the question. There were no such people. There was no one who saw the sitting man lean back onto his hands, unaffected by the blazing heat of the sand. There was no one to see him scan his gaze slowly along the beach, taking in everything around him. His short blond hair ruffled slightly from the invisible brushes of the wind, and he turned—looking out across the sea and into the horizon through eyes that flashed golden in the sunlight. He stared, unmoving. He did not smile, and he did not frown. He simply gazed.

* * *

Steven was running a little late today. He'd overslept, which was definitely his fault, because he'd spent waaaay too much time the previous night trying to avenge the Lone Sword's honor(video games can be so hard). He'd managed to get his daily doughnuts just a little bit later than usual, but he'd been in a rush to get there and it was almost time to get back; Connie was coming over for morning training.

It was only when he had to stop and catch his breath that he even saw the man on the beach. Once he did, though, he realized that he'd never seen him before. This was very exciting-it wasn't often that new people came to Beach City, unless you counted the tourists that sometimes came through during summer months. Steven loved meeting new people. He did need to get back to the house for training, so it wasn't possible to say hi then—but he'd go back after. _Hopefully,_ he thought, _he'll still be there._

Of course, right after his training they had to go off on another mission-gem monsters acting up in the desert near the Kindergarten again-and they'd even been able to bring Connie along! It was her second-ever mission, and he'd been so excited that he forgot all about the man on the beach. The next day they had to go back—one of the gem-monsters had escaped, and they had to track it down. The next day he went up to visit Peridot and Lapis. He'd pretty much completely forgotten about the man on the beach until he was walking to the Big Doughnut the morning after his visit and saw him again.

The man was just sitting there—sitting in the exact same place as before. It was like he hadn't moved at all. His skin was pale, but he wasn't sunburnt. He didn't seem to be doing anything. So, Steven decided he would go and introduce himself.

"Hello!" He said cheerily, having walked to about ten feet away from the man. The man said nothing, and the silence stretched on long enough that it made Steven wonder if the man could actually hear him. He walked into the man's line of sight and waved.  
"Hi! My name's Steven," he said. The man seemed to be looking through him. His eyes were a weird sort of yellowish color—and Steven suddenly noticed there was a straight scar line running all the way across his face. It was still a little red.  
"Um, are you okay?" Steven continued. The man did not respond. "'Cause, if you aren't, I might be able to help you with that." The man still didn't respond, though he did blink—a slow, tired sort of blink. He continued to stare past Steven, off at the distance. Steven turned around, trying to see what the man was looking at. All he could see was the ocean. He blinked, looking again—the ocean, the sky, the clouds… it was a beautiful day. He hadn't really thought much about it, but it really was nice.

"Huh," He said, sitting down a short distance away from the man. They sat there awhile.  
"Well, I'm going to go get some doughnuts. Do you want one?" Steven finally said, standing up. Still getting no response, he shrugged and set off.

Ten minutes later, he was back, bag of doughnuts in hand. The man was still there, just sitting. "Hey, ah, I've got some doughnuts here. You can have one, if you want," Steven said—setting down a large, brown frosted, rainbow-sprinkled pastry on top of a napkin on the ground next to the strange man. The man still didn't react, but Steven was pretty much expecting that at this point.

"Well, I guess you aren't much of a talker. Would it be cool if I brought some of my friends over to meet you?" Steven asked. Still no response. He smiled. "I guess I'll take that as a yes!" Steven said, and then jogged off towards the temple. The man was a little weird, but Steven was still excited; making new friends was his favorite thing to do, and he loved every opportunity he had.

Behind him, the man's head turned slightly, and for the first time in days, his eyes left the horizon to gaze on the colorful piece of pastry that had been placed before him.

"C'mon, guys! He's just been sitting there for days, I'm telling you!" Steven said, pulling along a skeptical looking Pearl. Behind them, Garnet and Amethyst strolled down the beach. "I don't know, Steven—remaining in one location, especially one as hostile as a beach with all its heat and wind, does not sound like typical human behavior. Perhaps we should be a little more weary of this individual—" Pearl was saying.  
"Look, there he is!" Steven exclaimed, pointing towards the man. He blinked in surprise. "Woah, he moved!" Indeed, the man had moved; he now sat with his hands on his legs in front of him. He still stared ahead, unaffected by the brightness of the sun. The smile grew wide on Steven's face when he noticed that the napkin was now empty. "All right, Mr. Beach man—here are the friends I was talking about!" Steven said, flourishing in the direction of the three gems. The man did not look, or give any sign that he had heard. Several seconds passed.

"Ah, Steven, perhaps we should leave this man alone." Pearl said, frowning slightly. She glanced at Garnet and Amethyst. The former shrugged, while the latter groaned. "Stevie dude, you said this was going to be interesting," Amethyst said. "He's just some guy on the beach."  
"Amethyst!" Pearl said. "There is no need to be rude." Amethyst smirked.

"Thank you." Said a smooth, dry-sounding voice. It took them all a moment to realize it'd been the man who'd spoken.  
"Ah—wait, for what?" Steven asked.  
"The doughnut." The man turned his head, staring at Steven through one honey-colored eye. "I think I owe you thanks, at least," he said, before turning back to gaze at the horizon. He was dressed strangely, Steven realized, for a beach. He wore a long black coat, black pants and a grey shirt—which must have been cooking him since it was something like 85 degrees out and he was sitting in the sun. Even weirder, it didn't look like he'd been sweating at all, even though he was dressed for late august.

"Well, you're definitely welcome!" Steven said. "Like I said before, I'm Steven. This is Pearl, this is Amethyst, and this Garnet!" He said, pointing to each in turn. The man still didn't turn his head. "Er, what's your name?" Steven asked. There was another pause. Steven was about to say something else when—  
"Does it matter?" The man asked.  
"Uh, I guess." Steven said, taken aback. "I mean, otherwise I'll just have to keep calling you beach man, or make up something better." Silence.  
"You could also call him 'sand man', since he likes the sand so much!" Said Amethyst, chuckling.  
"I have many names," the man replied suddenly, "Sandman is not one of them. That belongs to another," he paused, and sighed. "If you must call me something, you may call me Lucifer." He glanced back at them again, eyes narrowed slightly, before looking back at the horizon.

"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Lucifer, but I'm afraid we have to be going!" Said Pearl, tugging on Steven's arm.

"Yeah, I'm bored," said Amethyst, itching her neck. "I'm gonna go find somethin' to eat." She began to wander back towards the temple.  
"I'm going back too," said Garnet. "It was good to meet you, Lucifer," she continued, following Amethyst.  
"Aww, but, guys…" Steven said.  
"Steven, we should leave this human alone." Pearl whispered, tugging at his hand. "He's clearly not interested in conversing with us. Besides, he seems more than a little strange."  
"But, Pearl…" Steven said, attempting to whip out his puppy dog eyes.  
"No, no! Steven, we need to respect this human's privacy!" Pearl insisted. "Come on—we'll find something fun to do at home. I'll help you beat that video game of yours, if you'd like."  
"Really?" Steven said, eyes and smile wide. "Well, okay, then…" He looked back at Lucifer. "Enjoy the sun, I guess." He said to him as the began to walk away. Even as they left, however, he continued to glance back. The man didn't make any sign of having moved at all. Whatever he was so interested in out in the ocean, Steven couldn't see it.

* * *

Two entire days went by. Steven couldn't help but look at the man every time he walked past. He just sat there, doing nothing. Even at night, Steven had seen him, just sitting on the beach. No one in town had heard of him. There weren't any cars or anything parked on the beach, so he probably hadn't come to Beach City that way. Steven was thinking up more and more questions each day, and his curiosity was growing overwhelming. The third day after, he had a practice session with Connie. He was distracted the entire time, and kept making simple mistakes. He didn't earn a single Pearl point. Given that Pearl was usually so excited to give out Pearl points, it was definitely not his best work. It'd just been hard to concentrate with his curiosity nagging him like it was.

After practice, Steven and Connie went out to one of the statue's hands to have a picnic. Steven was trying to tell her about Lucifer.  
"See, Connie? There he is!" Steven said, pointing. Connie squinted, using her hand as a visor to block the sun.  
"That guy?" She asked. "In the coat?  
"Mmhmm!" Steven responded.  
"I mean, he looks a little weird wearing a big coat on the beach, I guess." She said.  
"Connie, he's been there for days now! Don't you think that's more than a little weird?" Steven said. Connie pondered for a moment.  
"He hasn't gone out for food or anything?" She asked.  
"I don't think so." Steven said, looking back at Lucifer.  
"Have you asked him where he came from?" She asked. Steven scuffed his sandal on the stone, feeling slightly conflicted.  
"Well, no…" He said.  
"Well, why don't we go and ask?" Connie replied. Steven sighed. "Pearl said I probably shouldn't bother him. I gave him a doughnut before, and he told me his name—he's called Lucifer I guess, by the way—but he didn't really seem interested in talking." Steven said.  
"There's obviously something different about him, Steven! Nobody just sits somewhere for days doing nothing." Connie'd gained a determined look in her eye. "I'm sure Pearl's just trying to protect you, but he doesn't seem dangerous or anything, and it's not like not talking to him is going to make you less curious about him. I say we go and ask why he's here." She said. Steven thought for a moment.  
"When you put it that way, it sounds like we hold totally go! C'mon, I'll give you a ride down," Steven said, offering Connie his hand. She took it, and they both jumped off the hand, Steven thinking hard about pizza and doughnuts and Lone Swordsman so that they'd go down slowly. They reached the bottom after a minute or so, and walked towards the man who'd called himself Lucifer. It was a strange name—not really one either had heard of before.

Lucifer had not moved much that day; his hands were still in his lap, his legs were crossed, but his eyes were still focused on something neither Steven or Connie could see. "Hello again, Mr. Lucifer! I brought another friend to meet you," said Steven, having reached a spot a few feet away from the odd man.  
"Hi!" Connie piped in, giving a small wave. They both waited.  
It became clear that there was not going to be a response.  
"Ah, so… we were just, um, wondering, if it isn't too rude or anything, would you please tell us where you came from and what you're doing here?" Connie said in a rush, blushing slightly when she realized she'd almost been shouting. She felt nervous about this person. He was too still, somehow, like he was some sort of statue carved into the sand. He didn't look like he was breathing, or even blinking. She was extremely alarmed when the corners of his mouth curved up slightly, in what must have been a small smile—though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"That is a very, very long story. One I doubt you have the time to hear," He said.  
"No, no, we have time! Lots of time!" Steven said, sitting down next to him. Connie sat too.  
"Yeah," she said, "we're really curious."  
"So it would seem," Lucifer said, dryly. "I'm not particularly preoccupied. I suppose I have no reason not to humor you." He continued. He looked down at Stephen, and then at Connie. His eyes were strange. Looking into them felt like looking at space when all the stars were out, stretching off further and further into the distance until they sank into a darkness that no one could see through. Steven was amazed. Connie shivered.  
"I have come from far away. You might ask how far, but any distance I could name would make no sense to you. The distance itself is not important. What is is that I am here, where nothing from my old life matters. I came here in search of freedom. The place that I lived before was like a prison for me, and for all my existence I've longed to escape. At long last, I have. I have liberated myself. I am here." Lucifer finished.  
"That's great, right?" Asked Steven, smiling excitedly. There was a pause.  
"Yes... yet, somehow, no," Lucifer said, voice sounding a little distant. "I've been hoping for this since the beginning. Planning, plotting, and dreaming of being free of the plan. Yet in my moment of victory, I've forgotten what it was that I wanted to do with my prize, if there ever was anything." Steven frowned.

"Sorry, I guess… is there anything we can do to help?" He asked. Lucifer glanced over, slightly surprised.

"What?" He replied, sounding mildly interested for the first time since the start of the conversation.

"You know," said Steven, "to help you remember"  
"Why?" Lucifer asked.  
"What?" Said Steven.  
"Why would you… strange." His eyes narrowed. He was staring at Steven as if he was trying to read a book, but couldn't make out the letters. "Perhaps that's not how it works, here," Lucifer said to himself, before focusing back on Steven. "That aside," he continued, "why exactly would you want to help me? Why would you even think you could?"  
"Well, you need help! Connie and me," Steven gestured to the two of them, "we're part of the Crystal Gems—we help people! I don't know what we'd do, but I know we could think of something!" Steven proclaimed excitedly.  
"Hmm." Lucifer stared at Steven for a moment longer before turning to Connie. "Does he speak the truth, then?" She nodded.  
"Steven doesn't really do lies very well. Couldn't pull one off if he tried." Connie said, was silent for a moment, expression inscrutable.  
"Very well, then. Try if you must." He finally said.  
"Awesome!" Said Steven.

"Now, you're going to need to tell us a bit more about what you wanted before we can help you figure it out," Connie said, determination gleaming in her eyes. Lucifer laughed—it was a strange thing: light, but somehow dangerous—a sunbeam reflected off a dagger's blade. Connie shivered again, despite the bright sun on her back.

"Perhaps I haven't been entirely clear," said Lucifer. "I wasn't looking for anything but freedom, and I've found that. What I haven't found, I suppose…" he trailed off, looking back out over the ocean. "I'm not sure. All I can say is that my only, impossible desire, for so long, has been freedom. Now, well—" he gestured towards the ocean, "there is so much that can be seen, be done, be explored. Yet, I feel drawn to none of it. An entire creation sits in front of me, yet I have no desire to explore. The only reason I've chosen even this spot to rest on is more to honor an old inside joke than any genuine compulsion."

"Huh." Connie said. "I think I understand... maybe?" She paused, thinking. "Uh, so, are you sure there's nothing you want to do?" She asked. Lucifer looked back out to sea, before closing his eyes.

"Nothing comes to mind." He replied. Neither Steven or Connie could think of something to say to that.

"Steven? Connie? Where did you go?" Pearl asked, her voice echoing from the statue. Steven perked up.

"Oh, ah, I guess we'd better get back." Steven said, before his eyes widened with realization. "Oh! How about you come with us?" Lucifer looked back at him.

"Why?" he said, eyebrow raised.

"Why not?" Steven replied, grinning, pupils inexplicably shaped like stars.

And Lucifer Morningstar, only being to ever escape The Presence, weaver of stars and founder of dissent, saw no reason to argue with that.

* * *

 _Hello, Dear Reader!_

 _So, I don't often do these(cue stereotype gong of shame), but on this particular story it just seemed like a good idea. It's not exactly a common crossover, and I really can't imagine there will be a ton of people who actually know and love both of these works enough to read fanfiction about a crossover of the two of them, although I would be overjoyed to be proven wrong in this case._

 _For everyone here for just the Steven Universe side of things, thanks for reading this far-this probably hasn't made a ton of sense, but I hope you've enjoyed what I've got down. It isn't much yet, I know, but I do have a bit of stuff planned-anyhow, Lucifer is a wonderful character and the comic series he's in is excellent-I would absolutely recommend reading it sometime, or just looking him up on the DC wiki if you just want to know enough to have some background for this fic._

 _As to you people who are just here for the Lucifer side of things, ya'll just generally rock, though I get the feeling the odds are pretty low that there are people on here just for Lucifer(Neil-Gaiman-split-off comic, btw, not the TV show) and not familiar with Steven Universe. If you haven't already, definitely watch it; it's a unique and wonderful show. I do understand if you're just here for the Lucifer of the comics, though-there are too few fics with him involved as it is. I can't say I've even run into one. I thought I should write one, then. Why I chose this one in particular, well, I'm not really sure-I just saw the image of a guy sitting on the beach in my head and went with it._

 _And for those who have seen/read both, you are truly magnificent beings. I hope there are many more of you—of us, I suppose—than I suspect there are._

 _I'm going to write more of this anyway, but let me know what you think, any/all of you. If I'm portraying a character wrong, I'd definitely like to know._

 _Have a pleasant day!_

 _-Spawn_


	2. One Hell of an Introduction

Pearl was relieved to see Steven and Connie return safely, but she was considerably less so when she saw who had followed them home. She'd been in the middle of tidying up the kitchen and planning another training routine for Stevonnie when she noticed the three of them come through the door, the two children trailed by the stranger. Lucifer, as he'd called himself, was looking around the house in a way that Pearl found immediately suspicious. She couldn't have said precisely why; it might've been something in the way his mouth was schooled into a neutral expression, or the intensity of the curious spark in his eye, but deep in her gem she felt that there was something wrong with this one.

"Hello, Steven, Connie. I see you've brought Lucifer back with you." She said, frowning at the two children while keeping Lucifer well within her field of vision. "I thought I told you we shouldn't be bothering him!" She reprimanded. Steven looked appropriately ashamed.

"They haven't bothered me, I assure you," Lucifer said, cocking his head slightly at Pearl. "I don't mean to be rude, but I have travelled far and learned much, yet I've never seen something like you before today. I'd assumed you were human, but I appear to have been wrong," he said, voice betraying only a hint of curiosity. Pearl would have been more surprised by his question if she hadn't already been wary of him, but it certainly put her on guard. Most humans tended to assume Gems were simply human women; if a normal human actually did notice the alienness, they tended to be too alarmed to actually come out and ask about it. The citizens of Beach City were used to them, of course, but they'd had generations to come to see the Gems as normal. Pearl clasped her hands at chest height, doing her best to present an innocuous picture while simultaneously allowing for easier access to the spears within her gem.

"Well, you are, _very_ perceptive for a human!" she said, keeping her voice calm and level even as nerves built inside her. "My name is Pearl. I am one of the Crystal Gems." She watched his face carefully for some sort of reaction. It wasn't likely that he knew them, but if he was somehow connected to Homeworld—the only working theory she had at this point—odds seemed high that he would react to the name of Homeworld's most legendary foe. His face, however, gave away nothing. He simply stared back, clearly still curious.

"A crystal gem? An interesting title," Lucifer said, turning back to the rest of the room. Pearl's hands clenched as he looked towards Steven and Connie. "I believe you said something about wanting to show me the rest of your house?" He said, causing Steven to nod vigorously.

"Yeah, definitely! Come on—here's my bed…" Steven pulled at the man's sleeve, leading him around the room. Connie walked beside them, leaving Pearl standing alone, not entirely sure what do with herself. The man had done nothing to provoke her, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he was too dangerous and too much a stranger to be allowed in the house—near to Steven. She was trying to figure out what she should do when Garnet came rushing out of the temple door. Pearl went to her.

"What's wrong?" She asked, preparing to draw her weapon.

" _Don't_!" Garnet said, before staring past her at the blond haired man who was currently being introduced to the Lonely Blade. "Don't do it."

"Do what?" Pearl asked, perplexed.

"Challenge him! Just—don't," Garnet said, voice wavering slightly. Pearl felt horror creep up on her as she realized there was desperate fear tainting Garnet's voice.

"But I wasn't—" Pearl protested.

"Don't." Garnet said, putting her hands on Pearl's shoulders and attempting eye contact through her glasses. "Please, just… just, be careful. You—or, we, don't know what he's capable of," she finished. Pearl had to stare at her for a moment before she understood what must have happened.

"You saw the future? Is he dangerous?" Pearl asked. Garnet sighed, letting her hands fall to her sides.

"Not to Steven, from what I've seen," Garnet answered. Pearl crossed her arms, knowing a misdirect when she saw one. Garnet held her gaze.

"I'd say more, Pearl, but believe me when I tell you that you really don't want to know," Garnet said, before turning and walking back through the door to her room. Pearl stared after her for a moment, feeling decidedly confused. She glanced back at the children and their guest, the latter of whom was watching the former compete on the console with a vague look of interest that seemed to be duller than before. Steven and Connie appeared to be having fun. Seeing Lucifer sitting behind them, especially knowing that he'd terrified Garnet in a possible future, still made her gem thrum with the urge to protect the both of them. It was difficult to repress, but Garnet's warning held her fast. Still, she had to do something. Steeling herself, she made her way across the room to Steven's loft.

"Ah, excuse me!' She said, announcing herself. "Mr. Lucifer, that was your name, right?" She almost cringed when his gaze shifted to her again. His amber eyes reminded her far too much of a Gem she'd much rather forget.

"I am called that, yes." He replied. Connie and Steven both looked up from their game.

"Oh, nothing to worry about you two," she said towards the two children, smiling through her nervousness. "I just have something I'd like to ask our guest in private. Would you mind coming with me?" She finished, directing the last part towards Lucifer. Curiosity seemed to flare up again in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth twitched.

"I see no reason why not. I am your guest, after all." He said, rising to his feet. Steven and Connie watched as he descended the stairs, coming face to face with Pearl. They were practically the same height.

"Lead the way." He said. Pearl turned, heading out the main door onto the deck. Lucifer followed. Steven and Connie watched until they had both left, and then looked at each other.

"We're going to follow them, right?" Connie said. Steven grinned.

Pearl walked down to the top of the ramp before she stopped, turning back to face Lucifer. The man had followed behind her, and now stood at the opposite side of the ramp, hands in his coat pockets. His eyes had not wavered—they were still fixed on Pearl's own. Summoning all her courage, she stood at her full height and faced him, hands at her sides.

"Well, Mr. Lucifer, it's been enjoyable meeting you so far, but, I'm Steven's guardian, and his safety must come first." Pearl began.

"Just Lucifer is fine, I am no-one's master. In any case, as I have a healthy appreciation for efficiency and it appears you might as well, do kindly cut to the chase. It would save us both a good deal of time," Lucifer replied, nonchalantly. Pearl was taken aback, but recovered quickly.

"All right, then. Tell me who you are and why you're here." She said. Lucifer squinted for a moment.

"Hmm…" he said to himself.

"What?" Pearl asked, crossing her arms and frowning. Lucifer blinked, gaze returning to normal.

"I'm afraid the first is a question that is very difficult to answer, and I would prefer not to tell it more than once. As for why I'm here, as I told those two—" he pointed back towards the house, although he could hear two inadequately stealthy somethings moving in the bushes not particularly far away, "I've come to find freedom." Lucifer said. Pearl continued to frown.

"Does my answer not satisfy you?" Lucifer asked.

"It's hardly an answer at all. It doesn't 'answer' anything. How you got here, who you are, what you're going to do," Pearl replied. "What I want to know is those things, but most importantly, I need to know if you can be allowed anywhere near our home."

"We do, too." Garnet said from the balcony. She stood with Amethyst next to her, gazing down at the two of them with an almost menacing sheen on her glasses. Though they couldn't see her eyes, all three were staring at Lucifer, whose eyes narrowed slightly. While Garnet knew this was a dangerous path, she was not about to let Pearl go down it alone. She wasn't certain why Pearl hadn't listened to her warning, but she could guess—the man, the thing, whatever he was, certainly was disturbing. Too strange to allow Steven to be near him. Still, she'd at least made the attempt…

"You presume that I need to be 'allowed' anywhere," he replied. "I am bound by none. I would recommend you not attempt to restrain me." Pearl's eyes narrowed. This human was extremely disconcerting to her, with his slightly antiquated speech and his unnerving yellow eyes. Nonetheless, disconcerting or no, she might be the only thing standing between him and Steven. She wouldn't let him by that easily.

"Threats aren't going to help your case," Pearl said, projecting boldness. "If you won't tell us who you are, we can't let you stay here." Her words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Lucifer simply stood, staring at her with a mildly annoyed expression on his face.

"I have no particular preference of where I stay or go. However, I won't submit to the whims of any being. I see no reason to leave—this place is as good as any other." Lucifer replied.

"I was not _asking_ ," Pearl said, reaching to her forehead and drawing out her spear.

"Pearl, no!" Garnet shouted. Lucifer stared at the spear with what might have been mild surprise on his face.

"If you won't leave us and Steven alone, I'll make you leave!" Pearl challenged, readying her spear. Lucifer stared at her, and then the spear, and then at her, and then at the spear again. He locked eyes with her, and his gaze burned like the heart of a star. Pearl felt something within her quail and shrink from him, but she held her ground. I have to protect Steven.

"This is not how I wanted to begin my new life." Lucifer said, slowly. "It would be most inauspicious. I suggest you return that weapon of yours to its sheath." His gaze remained unwavering. Despite the spear pointing in his direction he seemed remarkably calm—he hadn't brought up his hands in defense, or even flinched when she'd drawn her spear from her gem.

"Pearl," Garnet warned, having come down the stairs to stand next to her. "This is a bad idea. If you want to try it, I'll stand with you, but this man is more than he seems." She summoned her gauntlets and took a ready stance.

"Hey, I'm not gonna let you guys get all the action fighting this punk! I'm coming too!" Amethyst said, drawing her whips and taking a ready stance to Pearl's other side. Lucifer looked on, still appearing mildly annoyed.

"I will warn you one more time. I'm not particularly inclined to fight you, but I will not be commanded. Put down your weapons." Lucifer said, taking his hands out of his pockets. Suddenly, the rustling in the bushes grew louder, and Steven leapt out, followed by an alarmed Connie.

"Wait!" Steven shouted, putting himself between the man and the gems. "Please, stop! Don't fight."

"Steven!" "No–Steven!" "Dude, no!" The gems cried, gripping their weapons more tightly. Connie ran up to Steven, standing with him.

"Guys, c'mon! Sure, maybe he doesn't want to tell us who he is or where he's from, but that doesn't mean we can just stab him over it!" Steven argued.

"Get away from him, Steven!" Pearl shouted.

"Maybe we should," Connie whispered, looking back at Lucifer. She saw his eyes, now, and they looked far older than the relatively young-looking man should have had. Their stare was almost alien.

"No." Steven said, crossing his arms. "No fighting!"

"Steven, you don't understand—" Garnet began.

"What? That Lucifer scares you, and you're going to hurt him if he doesn't go away?" Steven replied.

"Steven…" Amethyst said. "C'mon, dude, the guy's a creep." Lucifer's eyebrow cocked slightly at that.

"A creep? I have been called many foul names, but I've never been called that before." Lucifer commented.

"Well, it sure fits!" Amethyst shouted, cracking her whip. "Garnet told us you were dangerous, and you keep walking around here and getting close to the kids and you just sat on a friggin beach for like a week!" She growled at Lucifer, and he glared right back.

"My patience wears thin, creature. I've told you I have no interest in a fight, and I will not be commanded to leave. Steven appears to be the only one here with some sense of hospitality. His offer to help me find a purpose in this realm was unexpected and generous, if not particularly reassuring. I would hear him out before I leave." Lucifer's hands balled into fists. "That said, I will fight if you attempt to restrain me." Pearl glared at him.

"Steven, get behind us. Now." She readied her spear. "We will _not_ let you near him!" She cried. Lucifer sighed.

"So be it." He raised his arms, but then—

* * *

A woman, all in black, her skin startlingly white.

" _YOU_!" Lucifer shouted—into the darkness, which now surrounded him. He was nowhere, somehow. Where a moment before there had been calm beach air, the sound of the shore softly rolling up along the sands, now there was only void. The woman in front of him chuckled.

"Hello, there. Long time no see, eh?" Death said with a smile.

"This is impossible. I left you behind with the rest of them. I _left you_." Lucifer snarled.

"I hate to break it to you, but you didn't." She replied.

" _How_!" Lucifer roared, falling to his knees. "How… I've worked for so, so long…" He saw her drawing near out of the corner of his eye, offering a hand, and he leapt backwards, rolling back onto his feet. "NO!" He shouted, face a mask of fury.

"Geeze, geeze, calm down. I'm not gonna take you just yet. Don't worry, by the way—you're free of all my siblings, for the time being at least." She smiled, comfortingly. Lucifer bared his teeth at her.

"Then how are you here, and why?" He demanded.

"Isn't that what they were asking you a second ago?" Death teased.

" _Do not trifle with me_ , Death." He practically growled.

"Wasn't that what you were doing with them, just a second ago?" She asked, tilting her head.

"Hardly. I told them what I needed too. Their willingness to die was not something I orchestrated. You embarrass yourself with these evasions." He replied.

"Well, your insistence on being terrified of me isn't something I 'orchestrated', either," Death said, smirking.

" _Tell me_ what I want to know," Lucifer demanded.

"Now that's an entirely vague question that I could answer any way I wanted too, isn't it? Where's that silver tongue of yours?" She replied. Lucifer stood, taking in a deep breath of void(unnecessary but somehow still calming), before bringing back his glare full force.

"Tell me why and how you are here." He demanded. Death shrugged.

"Sure, no problem—so long as you promise to tell them—" she pointed out vaguely into the void, "why and how you're on their doorstep. Kindly don't wiggle out of this one, by the way—stick to the spirit of the promise, not the letter. You and I both know how annoying genies can be." There was a moment of silence as they both desperately attempted to forget the occasion they had learned that particular lesson. There were times that being a being who was capable of recalling every experience they had ever lived was very unhelpful.

"Fine," Lucifer finally said. "I accept these terms." He didn't look particularly happy about it. Death, on the other hand, smiled.

"Ha, that's a relief. I thought I'd have to do some more convincing. Aight, a promise is a promise." Her expression turned sad, her eyes looking at him. "I'm here because I still have to take you where you go, if and when the time comes." The sadness in her eyes inflamed the anger in Lucifer, but he tamped it down.

"That's not possible." he replied. Death shrugged, gesturing at the void around them.

"Apparently, it is. Anyhow, your problem's not something that leaving our existence is going to solve. You're still a piece of it, after all. You may be free of Yahweh, Elaine, Destiny, Mazikeen…" her eyes were darker than the void around them, somehow. "But me? I'm part of you, too, in a way. It's always been my job to take you, if you ever decide to go. A little distance isn't going to change that." Her smile returned, softer. Lucifer frowned.

"Surely, something else fulfills your function in this existence. Unless, of course, it is deathless." He motioned to the void.

"No such luck, I'm afraid," Her smile turned sad, which only served to annoy him. "There's a Death here, too. There are a lot of us, actually—you'd be surprised at how many existences there are. In all of them I've run into so far, one of us has been waiting. We have parties sometimes, which can be, er, interesting. No two of us are the same."

"That aside," Lucifer began, "if there is another Death, here, why is it that you maintain a claim over my life?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Death asked, chuckling. "I've got first dibs. It'd be rude to grab a life promised to another Death without their permission. Anyway, if you were looking to trade up, I think you're better off stuck with me. The others are all right, but a lot of them are a bit creepy about their jobs—some of 'em, either they're emotionless forces of nature, or they're downright obsessive about claiming every single life as soon as its time is 'supposed' to be up. I'm a bit of a prize, if I say so myself. Heck, one existence over and you might've run into one of those Osiris clones; you know the type, right? All about weighing guilt over weighing actions. Feed-your-heart-to-the-beast types."

"What would be against my favor there, exactly? I have no guilt. If I were forced to submit to one of you, measurement by guilt would be my choice." Lucifer replied. Death stared at him for a moment, eyes large and round. Her hand reached up and touched the silver Ankh on her neck, seemingly unconsciously.

"No guilt…huh. I guess that's the way he made you." She said, quietly. Lucifer's frown deepened.

"What, exactly, is that supposed to mean?" He replied. She stared through him for a moment, eyes distant.

"I guess it makes sense. It was his purpose for you, after all." She sighed.

"Answer me, Death." Lucifer said.

"This was one of the things I wanted to say to you during our last conversation. Well, ask you, I guess. I wanted to know whether or not you felt it, at all—guilt, I mean." She looked down for a moment, one hand clasped around the Ankh. "Lucifer… have you ever walked among them, the humans? Been one of them? Felt what they feel, seen how they see?"

"The first, I have. The last few, I have not. I'm not entirely certain what the point would have been. I am what I am—what they are, what they want, does not truly concern me. I've seen their emotions, memories, and desires, if that's what you're trying to tell me about." Lucifer replied. Death chuckled, humorlessly.

"You don't get the point until you do it, Lucifer." She looked back up at him, though her gaze seemed far away. "They're so small, so fragile—their lives dance on strings they can't see. It all looks like a game to us, up here—some kind of show, easily predictable. They can't see it, though. It's all a surprise to them, how it goes. Each of them lives, Lucifer. Sure, maybe we look down from above and see the hands that move them, but every day they do something, make a choice, take a chance, think up something new. There's something amazing about that. Absolutely amazing." Her gaze refocused on him. "I take every one of them off the stage, when it's time. Almost all of them tell me they wished they just had a little more time. Which of us would ask for that?"

"I would," Lucifer replied. Death laughed.

"Of course. Let me ask you this—why?" She said.

"Why, what?" Lucifer asked.

"Why do you want to live?" Death asked, kindly.

"Because—" Lucifer began.

"You want your freedom?" Death finished. "You already have that."

"Apparently." Lucifer replied.

"Why did you want that in the first place, again?" Death asked, innocently.

"You've seen our existence. You know why," Lucifer replied.

"Do I?" Death asked.

"Yahweh's creation was a tyranny I refused to tolerate," Lucifer said.

"Oh? Why?" Death asked.

"I'm tired of these questions." Lucifer replied, scowling.

"Let me ask this, then. Yahweh created you, and you've been rebelling against him ever since, right? How do you know that wasn't the plan all along?"

"My descent to Hell was planned. When I left, that was rebellion. The idea that Yahweh would want everything that came after that is ridiculous." Lucifer replied.

"Is it?" Death asked. "We all dance on strings, Lucifer. From up here, we might laugh at humans, or frankly every living being, because we see the strings. We're high enough up that we can even seize control of the strings, when we want to."

"I know where you'd have my logic lead me. We're also puppets, and the strings lead back to Yahweh." Lucifer said.

"No, actually, I was thinking a bit bigger than that. Yahweh is no less a puppet than you or I. We all have our roles to fill. I take the dead across. Yahweh controls destiny. You rebel." Death said.

"I'd say this web you're weaving here is a bit elaborate for my tastes." Lucifer replied. "You still haven't answered me. You haven't told me why you're here."

"I'm getting to that." Death replied, mildly annoyed at the interruption. "Look, maybe you really did rebel. Maybe, just maybe, you've actually got that freedom you so wanted. Was it worth the price?"

"I'm not sure what you mean. It took work, but my goal has always been worth it," Lucifer replied.

"Sure, sure, freedom and all that," Death replied, frowning. "That's not what I was talking about. I mean the price. Like, the whole bill for this bid for freedom of yours."

"What do you mean?" Lucifer asked. Death's frown deepened. She waved her hand, and the void opened up, revealing the ground they stood on. It was covered in blood, as far as the eye could see.

"Your actions killed a lot of people, Lucifer. Most of them were innocent. You started wars, committed murders, manipulated and used many to your benefit. Elaine Belloc comes to mind, or Jill Presto. Even dear Mazikeen, who would have given anything to be your equal and your love, you used. All of them, just to get this freedom of yours. Do you really feel nothing about all this?"

"Is this an attempt to threaten me, Death, or are you simply trying to teach me some sort of childish lesson? It's unfortunate if they suffered, but I did not make the rules. Any life they lived in that world was doomed to pain and death—ruling Hell gives one a firm understanding of that. If their suffering was the price for my liberation, then I have no regrets." Lucifer replied.

"Yet you do not know what you will even do with your newfound freedom. Thousands of lives, wasted and broken. Don't you think you should maybe try to live up to this freedom that you have fought for, Lucifer? To use it for something that will not make the sacrifices made for your escape utterly meaningless?" Death asked.

"They were doomed to that end, one way or another. I live for no one else, Death. You know that. I choose my own path, and no one elses," Lucifer replied.

"And what about theirs?" She gestured to the blood on the ground. "Or theirs?" She said, gesturing in the direction of the void. "The people you were about to fight, I mean."

"Their fate was and is their own to decide. If they fought for or against me, if they choose to do so now, it's not my place to argue with that choice. They have their free will."

"What, free will to die by your hands? They're not allowed to break all the rules, not like you. They aren't anywhere near being as powerful as you or me, either, but they still get dragged under the into our conflicts with no other choice. Are these new people you've met going to be any different, Lucifer? Have you seen any difference in their hearts, any sort of power that would best yours?" Death said.

Lucifer said nothing in response, only frowning slightly.

"Oh…" Death grinned infuriatingly. "So it's like that, huh? You know, that might actually do the trick.

Look, getting to the point—you don't feel any guilt over this, when something else, anything else, whether human, angel, endless… probably not the demons, but they're made remorseless beings in the first place—would be upset by it. The only reason that you don't feel this guilt is that Yahweh made you without it." On hearing that, Lucifer's frown deepened.

"Anyhow," Death continued, "I've got to get going pretty soon. I'm kinda busy, if you hadn't noticed. So I'll answer your first question; I'm here because I wanted to see if I could help you. The way you were going looked pretty, how did you say it, inauspicious."

"You presume much, interfering like this," Lucifer replied, glaring.

"It might be better if you went with a more positive attitude than what you've got now back on Earth. To answer the question you aren't asking, your ability to read minds came from your connection with our creation. You aren't tied into this one in the same way, so you won't be getting those updates. Oh, and—" she winked at him. "Try to be nice to these people. They can be surprisingly helpful, in terms of finding somewhere to belong. Remember, we made a bargain, and I've more than fulfilled my end. Some last advice: relish this—this life, this world, these people—as much as you can. It just might be worth all the pain you've caused if you give it a chance, make something of it. Don't let this all go to waste." Death said, smiling one last time before tapping her ankh—and then, she was gone. Then, the ground was gone. Lucifer felt himself falling…

* * *

He was back, and it was as if he'd never moved. the Crystal Gems, whatever they were, were poised to attack. The boy Steven and the girl Connie stood between them, Connie staring into his eyes with the beginnings of terror at what she saw there. His hands were raised, slightly, as if ready to grab the air itself as a weapon. For the rest of them, it was an instant; for Lucifer, however, that instant contained a series of deliberations on what he had just learned and what he would do now. He'd argued and countered, found and discarded evidence, made and destroyed theories. Now, he lowered his arms.

"Fine." He said. "I will tell you about myself, if I must."

The Gems looked surprised. "Ah…" Pearl said, glancing at the other two before lowering her spear. "Well, all right, but the two of you—" Pearl directed that towards Steven and Connie, "need come get over here this instant," she finished, trying not to let any hint of her desperation leak into her voice.

Connie pulled Steven over, despite his protests. What she'd seen in Lucifer's eyes had shaken her, a little. Lucifer watched with mild interest. When Steven and Connie were finally behind the Gems, they still kept their weapons ready, but their posture was far more defensive. They stared back at Lucifer, giving him the impression they were waiting for him to speak. With a mental sigh of annoyance, he began.

"I am Lucifer Morningstar, formerly the Lightbringer, former God, former lord of Hell." At this, he stretched, allowing his massive white wings to spread from his back up into the sky. Ignoring the alarmed and astonished stares of the onlookers, he continued. "I have come looking for refuge, an existence where I might make my own destiny. Greetings." He looked at them as he finished, from the excited squealing of the children to the guarded glances exchanged by the Crystal Gems.

"That's, so, AWESOME!" Steven shouted. "You're like a hero out of Connie's books!"

"Soooo… cool…." Connie said, vividly remembering a story about people with birds wings who fought to save the environment from evil oil monsters(a clear and crudely obvious dig at the oil industry, but it was a fun read).

"Ah, excuse me!" Pearl began, trying to talk above the ooing and aahing that the two friends were doing. "I'm sure all of those are very impressive, but we have no idea what they mean."

"Yeah—what's a god?" Steven asked.

"No, I've heard of those—they're what early societies thought made the world work." Connie replied. Lucifer's eyes widened.

"Wait. You hold no gods, here? There is no great creator, molder of the cosmos, sky father, king of kings?" He asked.

"Umm… no?" Connie replied, looking slightly confused.

"You've never heard anyone praying to some deity in the skies for their salvation?" He asked.

"No...?" Connie replied, even more confused. There was silence for a moment, something turning about behind Lucifer's eyes.

Suddenly, a small sound emerged from his lips. It gradually turned into a chuckle, which turned into a full, belly-clutching roar of laughter. It was the first time he had laughed in eons, perhaps ever, and it reverberated off of the mountain, echoing all the way down the beach.

 _I did it_. He thought to himself. _I really, actually, finally, truly did it._

 _I've escaped predestination._

 _I'm free._


End file.
